In this photo taken in Mulhouse, eastern France, on October 19, 2023, a doll is reflected in a mirror next to the logo of social media video sharing app Tik Tok. (Photo by Sébastien Bozon/AFP) (Photo by Sébastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images)
A groundbreaking program aimed at economically empowering TikTok creators is coming to an end.
The Verge reports that TikTok spokesperson Maria Jung said the platform's $1 billion Creator Fund will be phased out in the US, UK, Germany, and France, and users in those countries will be able to monetize their content. It is said that this is prohibited.
Founded in 2020, TikTok has pledged $1 billion over three years to content creators who drive interest in the platform through their creative contributions. However, the program appears to have over-promised and under-delivered, with creators citing very low compensation despite their posts receiving millions of views and high engagement.
Earlier this year, the platform launched a new monetization program that promises higher payments to creators, but unlike the original, creators are required to create long-form content. Revenue is also calculated based on engagement.
TikTok is “designed to help creators foster their creativity, generate higher earning potential, and unlock more exciting real-world opportunities, and the Creativity Program Beta is designed to help creators foster their creativity, generate higher earning potential, and unlock more exciting real-world opportunities,” the Creativity Program Beta says. “This is the latest addition to our suite of monetization tools to help creators get paid.” said in a statement announcing the program earlier this year. “We developed the Creativity Program based on learnings and feedback from creators about our creator solutions, including the TikTok Creator Fund. The Beta version of the Creativity Program was initially made available to creators by invitation only, and then a number of It will be available to all eligible U.S. creators within months.”
In a statement shared with TIME, a TikTok spokesperson said the platform continues to “facilitate the best possible experience on TikTok and provide creators with a robust ecosystem of monetization services.” He said he would do his best. The spokesperson continued: “As part of our commitment and continued commitment to delivering, we are evolving our products and directing resources elsewhere to best support creators and explore new services. It has to be applied.”
